For Your Eyes Only
by chatonne2005
Summary: An impossible adventure. Please, review :
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the books of C.S. Forester

Author's note: I may have not respected some historical realities.

For Your Eyes Only

By a sunny afternoon of May, a young woman in her early twenties appeared in a small boat near the side of the _Renown_. The first person to notice the presence of the woman was Wellard. He didn't want to tell anyone at first, he preferred to look at the lovely lady. She had short dark hair, a long white empire dress, and a pearl necklace. For him, she was almost looking like a mermaid. As her small boat came near the ship, he heard someone say that she was "Miss Pellew".

Some minutes later, she was walking on the deck of the unhappy ship. To the surprise of everyone onboard, Captain Sawyer greeted her with a warm smile; no one really understood the reason of this smile. When she walked to her cabin to see where it was, she met four young men, probably lieutenants, she thought some times later. They were looking at her like if she were some creature coming from another planet, they were so surprised by the presence of the woman that none of the told her anything beside "Have a good day".

When Wellard went to talk with the lieutenants, he told them what he heard some times before about the young woman.

-I heard that her name was "Miss Pellew"

-Maybe it is Amelia Pellew, the daughter of the commodore, said Hornblower.

As the others heard her name, they understood better, why the captain acted so strangely in front of her, he was afraid for his career. But it didn't explain why she was onboard of the _Renown_. And when they saw that Wellard's face had turned red when he talked of her, they all thought the same thing; the poor boy had fallen in love at first sight with the overprotected daughter of the commodore.

At supper, Amelia went to see the captain, who had invited her. When she thought of the old man, she didn't understood why the crew of the ship was so unhappy, from her point of view; he was like a kind grandfather. So, as she met him for the second time, he finally asked her:

-Why did your father send you with us young lady?

-He wants me to find him at Cairo, in Egypt. It is his gift for my birthday.

-He lets you travel alone on a warship during wartime?

-Yes.

The last question of the old man made her feel that her life onboard might not be as welcome as she thought at first; and the old man who was looking so caring at first was beginning to look more and more like the tyrannical captain that he was, a man who would do anything to make other people's life horrible.

The next day, Amelia was walking on the deck smelling the salted air and looking at the ocean. As she was looking at the sea, the men onboard looked at her as if she were a mermaid, they watched her every movements, but no one of them wanted to take the risk to talk to her and hear her voice. The man who was looking the more troubled by her presence was Wellard, he saw that she was more gracious than the first time her saw her, and it is what was the strangest for him. When she was near, he could feel his heart beating for her, and when she was no where to be seen, he felt that something was missing.

The four lieutenants didn't saw anything more in the presence of Amelia, than the presence of a stranger in a very dangerous place, they weren't almost afraid of her like the crew, but they didn't have feelings as strong as the ones Wellard had for her. They didn't understand why he was so afraid to talk to her.

Some days finally passed and the only person who talked with her was the old captain. He talked with her just to frighten her about life onboard of a ship; he tried to give her some of his paranoia.

-You should know young lady that the men onboard of this ship have missed the presence of a woman for a very long time … so don't be surprised if, someday, they captured you and … you know.

-Maybe it is true, but this travel shouldn't be long enough to be dangerous for me.

-You should also know that behind your back, they talked about throwing you overboard; they think that a woman on a ship means bad luck.

-Please, captain Sawyer, stop talking about that, I'm old enough to take care of myself.

He tried to frighten her, but she just said that she believed him, just to stop him talking, but she didn't believe anything of what he told her. As time passed, he began to act more strangely. He started to threaten to beat her if she didn't stay in her cabin.

One night, as he was drinking wine with Dr Clive, he talked to him of the presence of Amelia on his ship:

-I'm afraid that this young woman might try to kill me.

-As you think of your lieutenants …

-No, it's different for her, she is the commodore's daughter, I'm sure her father sent her to kill me.

-What do you suggest to do of her to be sure she doesn't kill you?

-I should lock her in her cabin, and, you have to know something else about her, she saw us the other night when we … you know …

-So, you're right, she should be locked in her cabin, and to be sure she doesn't talk to anyone of this, you may let her starve, and beat her, torture her, or threaten her, to be sure she doesn't talk to anyone.

-You always have the best ideas, dear Clive.

-Don't worry; this little monster won't bother us anymore.

Later that evening, Sawyer came to see Miss Pellew in her cabin, he bring her water. After she thanked him, and closed her door, he locked her door from the exterior. He would sleep better while knowing that she was locked away from him, she would not spy on him, or try to execute him.

The next day, Sawyer and Clive visited their prisoner; she was sitting on her hammock looking at her door with a look in her eyes that was one only a spy could have had; a look that pierced skin. As they entered in her cabin, Sawyer asked her:

-Have you sleep well spy?

-What are you talking about poor old man?

-You know what I am talking about Miss Pellew.

-If it is about your paranoia, I know what you are talking about, but I'm not a spy.

-If you're not a spy, so, you are a killer hired by your dear father.

-Don't you think you're going too far captain Sawyer? I'm the commodore's daughter, but that doesn't mean he would hire me for a so dangerous task as eliminate you.

-Now, stop playing that game with us, we know that you've seen us the other night, just this information would mean death for me and Clive.

-So, you were talking about that all that time, yes, I saw both of you, but I'm not the kind of person who would talk behind the back of anyone if they do what I tell them to do …

-I think you don't understand your place here, you are the prisoner, you don't ask us for anything …

-If I were you, I would pay attention to what I would say, because if you threatened me or hurt me, my father could do worse that just made the two of you condemn to death for your true crime, he could say that you are a traitor …

-Now, that's enough.

When he had had enough of what Miss Pellew said to them, Sawyer hit her. That was too much for him. After, he tore the back of her dress, and Clive whipped her near her shoulders, until her back was dripping with her blood, and she lost consciousness.

As he had not seen Amelia walking on the deck for days, Wellard became afraid for the young woman, he knew too much how the captain could be cruel, so he finally decided to tell the two lieutenants who had became his only friends.

-I'm afraid that something may have happened to Miss Pellew …

-What make you think so, asked Kennedy?

-No one has seen her for days …

-Do you think she could be in danger, asked Hornblower?

-Maybe, I heard the captain talk to Clive; he told him that he thought that she was sent by her father to kill him …

As they heard his last answer, the understood why he was so afraid, and he had a very good reason to feel like that. So, they decided to search her, she was supposed to be easy to find, she was the only woman onboard, and a ship wasn't a place were someone could be lost for days.

As Kennedy and Hornblower searched for Pellew's daughter, they found something that proved the paranoia of the captain. They found that Amelia had been locked in her cabin like a prisoner. They knew that the captain had some mental problems, but they didn't think that those problems were so important. Now, that they knew that the poor woman have been locked in her cabin for days, they wondered if the cruel captain had sent her any food, they didn't even know if she was alive of if Sawyer had beat her like he did to Wellard.

Later that day, Hornblower and Kennedy asked the help of Wellard to save the poor woman from her cell. They knew that the young man would help them; he seemed to love Amelia so much. As they came near her cabin, that was now her cell, they heard her sobbing; this only made them afraid of what might have happened to her.


	2. Chapter 2

After some minutes, they were finally able to unlock her cell. What they found was more horrible than anything they could have seen in their life. The poor woman was now unconscious, and had bruises all over her lovely face. But the worst had not been seen yet, the back of her dress had been torn; that let them see that her back, around her shoulders, was dripping with blood, she had probably been whipped some times before. The most horrible, was that she seemed to have been flogged by the terrible captain each day since she was locked in her small cabin, because some of her wounds were looking like to have been done some days before.

For them, it was now obvious that Amelia had to be protected from the paranoiac captain. The most important for them was to have her near them to watch her, they didn't want that anything worse happened to her, so, they bring her in the lieutenants' berth, they knew that there, there would always be someone to look after her. The only problem was that Bush and Buckland didn't know about their decision, but they would surely understand when they would see her.

As Hornblower lifted her in his arms, she said with the little of her voice that was left:

-Please, don't take me to the sick berth … he will kill me … please …

-Don't worry Miss Pellew, don't worry, we will protect you.

They left the cabin where she had been tortured to take her to the lieutenants' berth; they knew that at this hour, no one was going to disturb them while they would tend to Amelia's injuries. They didn't have choice to take care of her themselves, because as they heard, Clive had played a part in the nightmare she lived.

They finally arrived to the lieutenants' berth with the unconscious Amelia Pellew. Kennedy and Hornblower offered to Wellard to leave the room while they would be changing her dress for one of Hornblower's nightshirts, because her dress that was once white was now in a shade of red because of all the blood Amelia lost from her injuries. But Wellard refused to leave the young woman, she already meant too much to him. He didn't mind to see her hurt or wounded, the only thing important to him was to be by her side. As they removed what was left of her dress, the saw that the poor girl had not only bruises all over her lovely face, but also all over her body. That was too much for them to see; the sight of the tortured woman in front of him made Kennedy cry, no one would have had to live that. To Wellard, the sight of the person he loved the most being so hurt by the man who had tortured him proved him that he was right, the captain was a very unstable and dangerous person.

Some hours later, when they had installed for her a comfortable hammock to sleep, the two others lieutenants arrived. They didn't understand at first why Wellard, Hornblower and Kennedy were looking at the new hammock, it seemed to be empty. But when they came nearer, they saw the creature that caught the attention of the three men. It was Amelia, the young woman who came onboard some times before, but she wasn't as delicate and gracious now with her bruised face and with one of Hornblower's nightshirt. The only thing that was the same for Amelia was her pearl necklace, but now, it seemed to make her skin look paler than ever, she almost seemed to be dead.

After some minutes, the three young men noticed the presence of Bush and Buckland. To explain their choice of bringing her to the lieutenants' berth, the showed her the dress she was wearing when they found her. The two men had the same reaction as the others, but they risked to ask the others:

-Who did this to her?

-It seems to be the captain … told them Wellard.

-Why would he do such thing to this innocent woman?

-I heard him saying that she was sent by her father to kill him …

-He has really problems, when he doesn't think that his officers are conspirators against him, he thinks that an innocent creature like Pellew's daughter is sent to kill him. This man is really unfit to command.

As they talked, they finally saw Amelia move and open her cinnamon eyes. She woke up really nervous; she was frightened by the five men looking at her. After suffering from the old captain, she was becoming paranoiac at her turn, but she asked them:

-Don't beat me I didn't do anything, please …

-Don't worry; you're safe, told her Buckland.

-Where is my dress? What happened?

-We changed your dress, don't worry nothing else has happened, told her Hornblower.

-Where am I?

-You are in the lieutenants' berth on the _Renown_, told her Wellard.

-But who are you I didn't saw any of you when I came onboard …

-The youngest is Wellard, he is a midshipman, there are Hornblower, Kennedy, Bush, and I am Buckland, we are all lieutenants o this ship. What happened to you?

-I don't remind how much time the captain kept me prisoner in my cabin, but he and Clive came often to beat me …

-Why did he do that?

-I don't know if I should tell you, but … I saw things between him and Clive that told me they were kind of lovers, and he knew I knew that, so he threaten me to never tell anyone about it, because it would mean death for both of them …

-It explains a lot of things, said Buckland, like why Clive protects the captain so much …

After learning about those secrets about Sawyer, the ship was attacked by surprise by a Turkish privateer. The men from the privateer came onboard of the _Renown_, and they easily won against the drunken crew. The _Renown _has been taken as a prize.

When Wellard was on the deck, along with the other lieutenants, he saw Amelia falling through one of the windows of the ship. The witness of the fall of Amelia knew that they couldn't save her, because the crew of the privateer would kill them, so they didn't have choice to let the beautiful woman drown.

Later, the privateer crew locked them in the lieutenants' berth until they arrived to Turkey. As he was prisoner, Wellard had nothing else to do than thinking of the fate of his only true love. As he was thinking of her, he looked at the hammock where she was and saw something shine a little. He looked move attentively and found the only thing the she never removed, her freshwater pearl necklace. He took the necklace in his hands and cried, like he never done before, he had lost what kept him alive onboard of that horrible ship, he had lost Amelia, his Amelia.

As the time passed, everyone in the lieutenants' berth became afraid of their fate, which would probably be horrible, they have heard of the horrible tortures some men had endured while they were prisoners. The only one who didn't like disturbed by the fact the he could die while he was prisoner, was Wellard, he had lost Amelia, what could be worse.

The _Renown_ finally arrived to a small village, the officers were taken to the sultan, a man who loved power more than anything. To arrive in front of the man, they had to walk in the desert for days, but when they arrived to the palace; their life would become more horrible than on the _Renown_ … if the tales they heard were true …


	3. Chapter 3

As the night came over the palace of the sultan, a rich woman arrived on her camel. She was wearing an ornate long flowing dark blue dress, and a silk veil was hiding her face, only her dark eyes were visible. As she walked to see the sultan, everyone who met her bowed to her like if she were a princess. She finally saw the old sultan she was searching; he was surrounded by his guards and was looking to his prisoners who had just arrived from the _Renown_. She came near him and asked him in a language unknown to the prisoners:

-Sultan, who are those prisoners?

-As I heard, there are four lieutenants, a midshipman, a captain, and a ship surgeon.

-Would who sell me five of them as slaves?

-Yes, but it will cost a lot …

-And what would you say if I danced for you and your guards in exchange of the five prisoners?

-I would say yes dear princess.

After he has accepted her offer, the mysterious woman removed her over dress and kept only her dark blue skirt with silver coins sewn on it and her short shirt also dark blue with silver coins sewn on it. Her skirt let people see her white legs and feet ornate with complicated henna tattoos. The men of the _Renown_ were afraid of what was going to happen to them, they were afraid that the woman with the veiled face would torture them.

As she danced, she moved like a snake, her belly making waves, her movements were accentuated with the sound of the coins sewn to her garments and her mysterious Cleopatra's eyes. As she danced, people's eyes were glued on her every movements. She would be able to get anything she wanted after her dance. She knew that the most powerful weapon wasn't an army, it was seduction.

When her dance ended, the sultan made his guards tie the five men she asked for to her camel. They were now her possessions. The four lieutenants and the midshipman saw the woman as a female captain Sawyer; she seemed to be cold, cruel, and to like to torture people … The only look from her dark eyes would have made them froze.

Later, they stopped to a richly ornate tent in the middle of the desert. She asked to her guards to untie her slaves and watch them during the time she would wash herself, because a day in this climate deserved a bath when the evening came. She closed the flap of her tent that separated her from her prisoners, removed her garments, and her veil, and stepped in her bath. As she was in her bath, the curious Wellard tried to look at her, he wanted to know the identity of the mysterious woman, but the only thing he could saw were some strange scars running on her back along with other henna tatoos, and her dark brown hair. He had a strange feeling toward the stranger who bought them, like if he had already seen her.

Wellard, what are you doing, you're watching her while she is in her bath?

Yes, but I want to know who she is …

If she saw you, she would probably torture you more than Sawyer, she is a very powerful woman, I think, told him Bush.

Maybe, but I have the feeling that I have already seen her somewhere else … I think that she looks like Amelia a lot …

Do you remember that Amelia is dead, she drown when the _Renown_ was captured, told him Kennedy.

When she reappeared in front of her prisoners, their mysterious captor was wearing a silk dress that matched with her veil that hid her unknown face. As she sat on the pillows, Wellard decided to ask her a question, but he feared what the others would think of him later.

-Who are you?

-Call me the Egyptian, she told them with a strong Egyptian accent.

-Could we see your face?

-No. But I want you to know that you don't have to fear me, I just wanted to save you from the tortures of the sultan.

-Why did you choose only us?

-I won't answer to this.

As the night came, the Egyptian rapidly fell asleep on her many pillows, she knew that her prisoners couldn't go really far, first because of her guards and secondly, because they knew that she was their only chance to survive. But in the mind of her prisoners, only one thing was important; they wanted to see the face of the woman who saved them. They doubted of her true identity, her skin was too pale for a woman who would live in the desert, she couldn't be a Bedouin, but she could be a French spy.

When they were sure she was really asleep, all of them surrounded her, and Wellard removed her dark silk veil. As she realised what have just happened, the mysterious woman started crying on the shoulder of Wellard.


	4. Chapter 4

When her veil has been removed, all of them didn't believe what they were seeing. Their saviour was Amelia. Wellard was right, she didn't die when the _Renown_ was taken, and she just faked her own death. She decided to tell them what really happened.

-I'm sorry to have hid my true identity, I had my reasons. You have discovered who I am, but there are many things that you don't know. First, I have bought the _Renown_, it has its old crew, and it just missed us to leave. After that, you should be asking what I am, who I am really. What I will say have to stay a secret that you will protect will your lives. I am a spy, or as I preferred to call that, an intelligence agent, I had the mission to eliminate Captain Sawyer and Doctor Clive, they had done too much problems to the admiralty. As for when the _Renown_ was attacked, I knew that it was going to happen, so I made the privateers believe that I was some Turkish princess who has been kidnapped. For when you all saw someone drowning in the water, it was only a statue wearing my clothes. I had to disappear. Now, you have to remind that I am your captor until we are onboard of the _Renown_ again, when we will return to the ship everything will return like before.

After telling them the truth, Amelia wasn't able to sleep again, just like Wellard who was now too surprised by her to sleep. So, he asked to talk with her while the others were sleeping and dreaming.

-Miss Pellew, I know that I have been too timid to talk to you before, but …

-Please call me Amelia.

-Amelia, I wanted to give you back your pearl necklace, I found it some time after you disappeared.

-You kept it with you all that time?

-Yes, it helped me to remind of you …

-To remind of me?

-Yes, the first time I saw you in your small boat coming to the _Renown_, I felt something for you…

-What do you mean?

-I think that I fell in love with you that day. I was with Hornblower and Kennedy when they found you barely alive in your cabin, this is when I understood how much I you meant to me …

After the night, the "Turkish princess" and her "prisoners" walked to the ship, like she said everything was like before, the ship has been repaired for the damages done from the encounter with the privateer. The only thing different now, was that Amelia, as the owner of the ship chose to take the captain's cabin as her own, after all she done to save the other men lives, she had the right to take it. When everyone returned to their place on the ship, they left for the Cairo to find Amelia's father.

When they saw her wearing one of her own dresses that she bought when they were in Turkey, they could only remind her of when she danced her danced that freed them. She was a really beautiful woman. Kennedy and Hornblower could only think of the chance that Wellard had to court her.

One day, when she could meet with the lieutenants and Wellard, she explained them what was probably going to happen when they would arrive in Egypt.

-Because the captain and the doctor have mysteriously disappeared, there is a small possibility that you will have to face a court martial. If it is the case, the only thing you will have to say is that you were captured by the Turkish sultan, and the Egyptian bought you as slaves. After, you escaped from her and returned her for me. They don't have to know how the captain acted.

-What if they ask more about the Egyptian? Asked Wellard.

-Don't worry about that, they know who I am.

-But you said that you were a spy, how would they know you? Asked Hornblower.

-Some could say that I sometimes offer my services to help the admiralty, like to make disappear too disturbing people, getting information at any costs, those kinds of things, and you're not the first people I have saved from prisons. But everyone, you have to keep those information secret, one day I could be useful again.

They finally arrived to the Cairo where Amelia met her father. She told to him alone:

-My mission is ended, the two don't exist anymore.

-It is a very good thing.

-What would you like my dear daughter in exchange of this service?

-If you don't mind, father, I would really be happy if you would accept what a young man on the _Renown_ have asked me …

-What did he ask, who is it?

-Midshipman Wellard of the _Renown_ has asked me to marry him …

-I will see …

When Amelia's father had met the young man, he accepted what Amelia asked. As a spy, it would be a very good idea for her to marry a man that could be useful for her missions …


End file.
